Music support and keyboard lighting device for musical instruments



Jan. 25, 1966 w Ts musxc SUPPORT AND KEYBOARD LIGHTING DEVICE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Sept. 25, 1962 FIG. I

INVENTOR RICHARD WELTS United States Patent 3,230,814 MUSIC SUPPORT AND KEYBOARD LIGHTING DEVICE FUR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Richard A. Welts, 8701 Belleville Road, Belle-ville, Mich. i Filed Sept. 25, 1962, ar. No. 226,001

Claims. (Cl. 84180) This invention relates to music, to the origin of the various musical notes or sounds, and to apparatus and equipment by which music is created including the instruments and accessories employed by the performer in the production of music.

The invention relates particularly to musical instruments having operating elements constructed and arranged for manual actuation, and to facilities by which observation of 'such operating elements may be more clearly observed and distinguished with minimum conspicuousness to an audience or observer and minimum annoyance or inconvenience to the performer or operator of the musical instruments.

Various types of musical instruments and related devices and accessories have been created for producing music including instruments on the order of organs particularlywith multiple keyboards and where control devices must be manipulated and where it is necessary to provide illumination for both the music and the essential parts of the console keyboard. Prior devices have been limited in their use since they were constructed for specific keyboards incorporated either at the time of manufacture or subsequently. Accordingly prior devices have been of limited use, inefficient, and have failed to fulfill the need for which they'were designed including rendering clearly visibleand without glare the essential parts of the instrument.

It isan object of the invention to overcome the difficulties enumerated and to provide an organ or the like musical instrument with a combination music support and keyboard light which can be applied to an existing le'd'g'e or music rack of any make organ, piano or the like musical instrument without direct attachment or modification of the structure to which it is applied, can be removed from one musical instrument and applied to another, "and'-which can be independently provided by the performer and removed when a performance is completed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a musical instrument such as an organ, piano or the like with illumination producing means for directing light over the sheet music area and over the keyboard and at an angle to avoid glare in the performers eyes from a portable lamp casing having an upper music surface which will support sheet music and prevent slippage but will not interfere with the turning of the pages and with such housing having a lower surface provided with a protective belt or shield which will not mar the surface on which it is placed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a relatively simple portable elongated housing with a slidably removable cover to afford easy access to the electrical components for repair or replacement and in which a light is confined except through properly directed openings which concentrate the light without glare on the music and operative parts of the musical instrument.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of a musical instrument incorporating the present invention on which sheet music is retained and which itself rests on the ledge of the instrument;

FIG. 2, a vertical section;

FIG. 3, the housing of the present invention with the top in two positions;

FIG. 4, an enlarged horizontal section through such top; and

FIG. 5, a view taken on the line 55 of FIG. 3.

Briefly stated, the invention is a musical instrument with a portable housing supporting the music and containing the electrical components providing the necessary illumination of the essential parts of the instrument and with the light arranged to be directed onto the music, and also onto the keyboard at an angle of approximately 45 and shielded from the eyes of the performer, such housing having an easily removable cover with reinforcing ribs and a friction surface and an upright screen formingflange at its rear slidably received in a reversely extended portion of a similar flange on the rear upper portion of the housing and with an opening through the cover adjacent to such flange from which light is reflected from the interior of the housing through the opening in the cover and onto the music rack while shielded by the flange from the performers eyes, the housing having a longitudinal opening along its lower portion so arranged with respect to the light source and the keyboard that the light is reflected onto the keyboard from which the angle of incidence is such that it is directed at the level of the body of the performer below his eyes in order not to interfere with his vision.

With continued reference to the drawings, a musical instrument 6,has a keyboard 7 and a music rack 3 against which sheet music 9 is adapted to be placed for ready vision by one using the musical instrument. The lower edge of the music is supported on an abrasive or nonslip surface layer 10 of a flat plate or cover 11 of substantially uniform thickness and having offset portions forming reinforcing ribs 12, such cover having a reversely curved rear edge portion 13, a front upright wall 14 and a slot or elongated light opening 15.

The cover 11 is supported on a housing having a curved rear connecting portion 16 which slides within the curved portion 13 permitting the sliding application and removal of. the cover. The curved portion 16 extends rearwardly from a horizontal rear wall 17 which joins a bottom wall 18 connected by an inclined lower front wall 19 with an upright upper front wall 20 having a reversely bent upright wall 21 forming a combined music retaining fence and light shield in which the upright wall 14 of the cover is received. The forwardly and upwardly inclined lower front wall 19 is provided with a slot or elongated light opening 22 with reinforcing side portions 23 for strength. Through this slot light is directed downwardly at an angle of 45 onto the keyboard 7 below.

In order to mount the device a pair of adjustable rubber surfaced hooks 24 are provided, such hooks including mounting shanks 25 which telescope within the curved edge 16 of the rearwardly extending portion which joins the rear wall 17 of the housing. The hooks 24 can be adjusted or moved toward and from each other and fitted behind the opposite side edges of the music rack 8.

In order to prevent the marring of the musical instrument a scuff-proof pad 25' of felt or other substance preferably is adhesively connected to the entire bottom surface 18 of the housing and is extended a substantial part of the height of the rear wall 17. The structure thus described serves as a support for music read by the performer. The device also is provided on its interior with a fluorescent light 26 mounted in brackets 27 and supplied through a concealed ballast 28 and electrical conductors 29 from a source of electrical energy.

The interior of the housing formed by the walls 17, 18, 19 and 20 and the bottom surface of the top 11 preferably is painted white for the diffusion of light and as illustrated in FIG. 2 light rays 26' will shine downwardly through the opening 22 onto the multiple keyboard and at an angle of approximately 45 and not glare into the eyesv of the performer or interfere with the view of the keys. Light also will shine through the slot 15 from the light 26-from the inner surfaces of the walls I) and 20, the upstanding portions 14 and 21 providing a shield to prevent the light from shining directly into the eyes of the-performer.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a musical instrument is provided with the necessary abrasive support for music Whiehw'ill prevent slippage yet not interfere withturning of the pages and at the same time light will be directed onto the music to be read and onto the keyboard with no glare in the eyes of the operator but with maximum illumination. Also, the structure'for supporting sheet music and for producing light is readily applicable to different manufacturers products.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is notlimited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use with a musical instrument having a music rackand akeyboard therebelow, an elongated structure adapted to form a horizontal support for music or the like thereon and to provide a source of light for the music rack and keyboard, said elongated structure comprising a two-part metallic housing of relatively thin wall construction throughout, one of said parts of said housing comprising a hollow base portion having integrally related, spaced and generally vertically extending front, bottom and rear walls, a curved terminal edge portion formed on each of said front and rear walls, a generally horizontally extending and removably mounted top wall and closure member for said hollow base portion forming a' support for music or the like thereon and having complementary edge portions for mounting in longitudinally slidable and attached relation with said curved terminal edge portions formed on said hollow base front and rear walls, the front portion of said top closure member having aperture means formed therein adjacent the front terminal edge thereof, said curved top terminal edge on said front wall providing an upstanding imperforate fence positioned above said horizontally extending top member, the lower portionof said front wall of said base portion being forwardly and upwardly inclined and having aperture means therein directly below the aperture means in said top wall, a source of light mounted in said base portion for the projection of light therefrom through both said top wall and lower front aperture means to provide illumination respectively for the music rack and keyboard, and means at each end of said housing for attachment thereof to the music rack.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a pair of aligned elongated hook members each relatively slidable and individually adjustably mounted in said outwardly curved portion of said rear vertical wall, said forwardly and upwardly inclined lower portion of said front wall having an inclination of approximately 45 degrees whereby light transmitted through said aperture means therein is adapted to be directed onto the keyboard of the instrument and reflected therefrom onto the body of the performer substantially below eye level.

3. For use with a musical instrument having a music rack and a keyboard therebelow, a hollow elongated structure adapted. to form a horizontal support for music thereon and to provide a source of light for illumination of the music rack and keyboard, said elongated structure comprising a two-part metallic housing all walls of which are formed of relatively thin sheet metal or the like, one of said housing parts comprising a hollow base portion having a generally horizontally extending bottom wall and upwardly extending spaced apart front and rear walls, said rear walls extending vertically upwardly from said bottom wall and having an upper edge portion outwardly curved to form an elongated rearwardly projecting lip substantially parallel to said bottom wall, the lower half portion of said front wall being'outwardly and obliquely inclined upwardly from said bottom wall and having elongated opening means therein, the upper portion of said front wall being extended to a level appreciably above said rear vertical wall to provide a vertically projecting flange with a backwardly extended reverse bend formed thereon positioned above said rear wall, light means mounted within said housing base portion, theother of said housing parts comprising a generally horizontally extending and movable top closure wall member for lon gitudinal sliding upport on said base portion, said top closure wall member having terminal edge portions complementary to said curved and reversely bent edge portions of said rear and front walls, respectively, of said housing for sliding interlocking support engagement therewith, elongated opening means formed in said top'closure wall member, saidv elongated opening means of both said front obliquely inclined front wall and said top closure wall providing for transmission of light therethrough from said light means, and individually adjustable means on said housing for detachably mounting said two-part housing on the music rack of the musicalinstrument.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said last mentioned means comprises a pair of separate and aligned elongated hook members each slidably and adjustably mounted in said outwardly curved portion of said rear vertical wall of said base portion, saidaperture means in said top closure wall member being positioned closely adjacentsaid flange on said front wall whereby light transmitted therethrou'gh is reflected backwardly onto the music rack and prevented from projecting forwardly of said housing.

5. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said upper impcrforate fence on said front wall constitutes shield means for preventing light that passes through-said aperture means in said top closure wall from being projected forwardly therefrom into the eyes of the performer, said bottom wall of said housing and. said housing'attaching means each having means thereon to prevent damage to any surfaces coming into contact therewith.

References Cited by the Examiner LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. FOR USE WITH A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT HAVING A MUSIC RACK AND A KEYBOARD THEREBELOW, AN ELONGATED STRUCTURE ADAPTED TO FORM A HORIZONTAL SUPPORT FOR MUSIC OR THE LIKE THEREON AND TO PROVIDE A SOURCE OF LIGHT FOR THE MUSIC RACK AND KEYBOARD, SAID ELONGATED STRUCTURE COMPRISING A TWO-PART METALLIC HOUSING OF RELATIVELY THIN WALL CONSTRUCTION THROUGHOUT, ONE OF SAID PARTS OF SAID HOUSING COMPRISING A HOLLOW BASE PORTION HAVING INTEGRALLY RELATED, SPACED AND GENERALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING FRONT, BOTTOM AND REAR WALLS, A CURVED TERMINAL EDGE PORTION FORMED ON EACH OF SAID FRONT AND REAR WALLS, A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING AND REMOVABLY MOUNTED TOP WALL AND CLOSURE MEMBER FOR SAID HOLLOW BASE PORTION FORMING A SUPPORT FOR MUSIC OR THE LIKE THEREON AND HAVING COMPLEMENTARY EDGE PORTIONS FOR MOUNTING IN LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLE AND ATTACHED RELATION WITH SAID CURVED TERMINAL EDGE PORTIONS FORMED ON SAID HOLLOW BASE FRONT AND REAR WALLS, THE FRONT PORTION OF SAID TOP CLOSURE MEMBER HAVING APERTURE MEANS FORMED THEREIN ADJACENT THE FRONT TERMINAL EDGE THEREOF, SAID CURVED TOP TERMINAL EDGE ON SAID FRONT WALL PROVIDING AN UPSTANDING IMPERFORATE FENCE POSITIONED ABOVE SAID HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING TOP MEMBER, THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID FRONT WALL OF SAID BASE PORTION BEING FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED AND HAVING APERTURE MEANS THEREIN DIRECTLY BELOW THE APERTURE MEANS IN SAID TOP WALL, A SOURCE OF LIGHT MOUNTED IN SAID BASE PORTION FOR THE PROJECTION OF LIGHT THEREFROM THROUGH BOTH SAID TOP WALL AND LOWER FRONT APERTURE MEANS TO PROVIDE ILLUMINATION RESPECTIVELY FOR THE MUSIC RACK AND KEYBOARD, AND MEANS AT EACH END OF SAID HOUSING FOR ATTACHMENT THEREOF TO THE MUSIC RACK. 